ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · arm · plane · field · file · mine · safe · capital

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  21. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. capital — money
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. mine — for digging
  7. field — for sport
  8. file — a document
  9. file — a line of people
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. capital — a big letter
  15. court — of law
  16. plane — a tool
  17. file — a tool
  18. field — a subject
  19. court — for sport
  20. field — farmland
  21. capital — a city
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. court — of a king

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com